Static Rope Evacuation by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services in Rescue Operations in Southeast Norway.

Introduction: Physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in Norway are an adjunct to existing search and rescue services. Our aims were to study the epidemiological, operational, and medical aspects of HEMS daylight static rope operations performed in the southeastern part of the country and to examine several quality dimensions that are characteristic of this service.

Methods: We reviewed the static rope operations performed at 3 HEMS bases during a 3-y period and applied a set of quality indicators designed for physician-staffed emergency medical services to evaluate the quality of care.